LSU soccer recently concluded a West Coast road trip where it faced Utah Valley and the University of Utah. Against both teams, the Tigers showed inconsistencies in finishing strong.
The team faced adversity in its first matchup against Utah Valley, falling 3-2 at the end of 90 minutes. The Wolverines challenged LSU’s ability to bounce back in crucial moments.
The Tigers displayed a lack of offensive pressure in the first half of the game. The team scored once in retaliation for a goal made by Faith Webber, a forward for the Wolverines, but were outshot 7-3 in the first 45 minutes.
In the second half, the Tigers pushed for a comeback, scoring a second goal in the 79th minute and outshooting Utah Valley 10-6.
Even with a late push in the game, LSU’s defense struggled to stop the Wolverines and couldn’t finish off the comeback.
In the upset that moved LSU’s road record to 1-3, it was apparent that the team struggled to balance its offensive and defensive surges.
In contrast to the difficulties the Tigers faced in the first game of the road trip, they showed resilience with a win over the Utah Utes.
LSU was immediately aggressive in the first half, still outshot by the Utes, scoring two goals by the 42nd minute.
The second half proved to be a challenge for the team, with zero shots on goal in the entire half. The Utes made a significant effort at a comeback win over the Tigers.
Despite the many missed scoring opportunities and absence of quality playmaking, the LSU defense prevailed to shut out the Utes 2-0.
The inconsistency that the team showed between the two games highlights that LSU hasn’t found its balance when it comes to endurance and focus throughout the full 90 minutes.
Against the Wolverines, the LSU offense was passive in the first half and stronger in the second. When battling the Utes, however, it was the opposite.
Comparing the backline’s collapse in one game to its ability to hold strong in the other is telling of the Tigers’ mentality during each half. In most games this season, the team has struggled to close out a win when chasing the victory, but seems to finish stronger when dictating the score.
In both Utah matchups, the inconsistency in performance between halves builds uncertainty on LSU’s potential to challenge its first SEC opponent, Vanderbilt.
This team has proven it can be both vulnerable and gritty, and the trip to the West Coast has tested the Tigers as they search to find a team identity that performs consistently in both halves.
Heading into conference play with a winning mindset, LSU proved its willingness to fight when under pressure.
In particular, the controlled defensive mentality LSU applied against the Utes to protect the lead is the kind of resilience that could define its conference campaign.
LSU will head into the last matchup of a three-game road stretch, but starting on the clean slate of a conference record could be what the Tigers need to both reset and reroute the season.